Research from Informa has found that 2013 will be the year for LTE infrastructure roll out, with 159 projects on the way, to add to 184 LTE networks already in service around the globe.

Because of this acceleration, by companies like Verizon Wireless, Japan’s NTT DoCoMo and EE, LTE subscriptions are expected to grow more quickly than forecast by Informa last year, reaching 1.36bn in five years.

The 1800MHz spectrum, snapped up by EE, with some sold on to 3 in the UK, has proven particularly popular with operators around the world, and could become the global standard for when mobile users move between countries. Julian Bright, co-author of the report, said: “The adoption of the 1800MHz band for LTE has exploded over the last year, as mobile operators are attracted by the band’s unique set of advantages, such as widespread availability, excellent coverage and the possibility of reusing existing network assets. Coupled with strong support from LTE-device manufacturers, these benefits make 1800MHz an ideal band for LTE services, and a strong candidate to provide a globally harmonised roaming solution for LTE.”

Vodafone secured the 2,600MHz, while O2 got frequency at 800MHz. Both are expecting to launch competing 4G offers on 29 August.